English as an Additional Language (EAL)

UNIS Hanoi is proud to serve a large population of students from many nations, cultures, and language backgrounds. The majority of the students at the school are non-native English speakers many of whom come to the school in need of English as an Additional Language (EAL) support. These students participate in a comprehensive English language support programme to help them succeed at UNIS Hanoi.

Our EAL Mission

As a programme committed to excellence in EAL education, the EAL Programme will provide each EAL student with the English language support they need to be academically and socially successful at UNIS Hanoi while striving to respect the integrity of each student's cultural identity and promoting the use of the mother tongue.

How It Works...

To reach our goal, students participate in a programme supported by the whole school and community. This means EAL students attend mainstream classes with English language support both inside and outside of the classroom. As a student gains more mastery in English, as demonstrated in classroom achievement, he or she becomes more independent of EAL support services. To complete a balanced academic life and add to the socialization process, EAL students often play on one of the many sports teams and take part in other extra-curricular activities offered throughout the year at UNIS Hanoi.

The EAL Support Faculty

The programme's faculty consists of trained professionals committed to creating a humanistic environment in which each student can feel secure to meet all the challenges of the UNIS Hanoi academic life. In addition to knowing each of our students very well, EAL instructors are always in close contact with classroom teachers and administrators to ensure that we have a clear understanding of each of our student's needs, progress, and classroom placement. This information is regularly and systematically communicated to the parents who help both at home and at the school with their son's or daughter's progress. Together, we strive to create the best possible language-learning environment for your child to succeed at UNIS Hanoi and beyond.

UNIS Hanoi EAL Policy

Students attending UNIS Hanoi will all be given equal opportunity to elevate their level of English as needed. Our EAL (English as an Additional Language) programme operates for Pre-Kindergarten students through Grade 8 to assist students who do not yet have strong English skills and to develop their fluency to become more comfortable in the English curriculum used by UNIS Hanoi and most International schools. EAL students take EAL class whilst native English and other students fluent in the English language may study a second language. The language will vary according to age.

The EAL policy limits the percentage of EAL students who may join in any one grade. For ECC students (Discovery, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten) this percentage is 50%. For students grades 1-8 it is reduced to 30%. Limiting this percentage assists students in developing their English skills faster because they are surrounded by a higher percentage of proficient students. At the Grade 9 level, students must have reached at least an intermediate level of English. Students needing EAL support in Grades 9 through 12 are not admitted. In cases where classes are full, priority for admission will be given to students fluent in English.